A Time to Gather Stones Together
by Sequoia Hope
Summary: Missing scenes from 3.10 The Return, Part 1. Set during the six weeks back on Earth up until the restaurant scene. Re-uploaded from January 4, 2013 under a new pen name, formerly known as Sparks of Atlantis.
1. Chapter 1

**A Time to Gather Stones Together  
** By Sequoia Hope

* * *

Many thanks to **Southern Red** for beta-reading.

* * *

 _To everything (turn, turn, turn)  
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)  
And a time to every purpose under heaven_

 _A time to build up, a time to break down  
A time to dance, a time to mourn  
A time to cast away stones  
A time to gather stones together_

 _-_ "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by The Byrds (1965)

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

John Sheppard stepped out of the Gate with Rodney McKay and Carson Beckett beside him and nodded his head at the general waiting for them at the end of the ramp.

"General O'Neill." John shook his hand.

"Colonel Sheppard, Doctor McKay, Doctor Beckett." General Jack O'Neill acknowledged each of the men in turn. "Welcome back to Earth."

"You'll understand, sir, when I say that Earth is the last place in the universe that we want to be in now," John replied dryly. "I would say last place on Earth, but..."

General O'Neill gave him a wry smile. "Ah, is Doctor Weir still on the other side?" he asked.

John turned his head and looked around him, only noticing just then that Elizabeth wasn't with them. "Um... yeah, she should be coming through any minute now..." John said hesitantly, puzzled. He frowned. "Funny, she should have been with us."

Seconds later, the event horizon rippled as one more figure emerged from the Gate. Elizabeth Weir made her way down the ramp, a silver Atlantis briefcase in one hand.

"General O'Neill." Elizabeth smiled and shook his hand. "It's good to see you."

"Good to see you, too, Doctor," General O'Neill replied. "Is that everyone?"

Elizabeth hesitated for a moment before responding. "Yeah. Everyone's through."

General O'Neill nodded before glancing up to the control room, signaling to the technician there to shut down the Gate. As the wormhole disengaged, he turned back to the foursome.

"Uh, there's breakfast in the commissary, if you all didn't eat already before leaving," he quickly mentioned.

Elizabeth smiled. "Thank you, General. We'd best head over to the infirmary first, though, and get ourselves checked over."

General O'Neill nodded, and with a final glance at the team, he walked away.

"Well, I don't know about you guys," Rodney piped up, "but dinner seems like ages ago, so let's get this check-up out and over with, shall we?" With that, he headed off to the infirmary with Carson close behind. John was about to follow them, but he stopped and turned around when he realized that Elizabeth was still standing at the end of the ramp, gazing at the closed Stargate.

"Elizabeth? You coming?" John studied her, wondering if she heard him at all, and he was about call her again when she turned around.

"Yeah. I'm coming." She forced a smile. "Let's go."

She brushed past John, and after a brief moment of hesitation, he followed her to the infirmary.

Later, the four of them filled their plates from the buffet and found a table near the corner of the commissary. John tried to keep the discussion alive, and with Rodney and Carson joining in, the meal wasn't eaten in awkward silence. However, John noticed that Elizabeth was unusually quiet during the entire meal. Back on Atlantis, she only ate with them occasionally, but when she did, she was usually very active in the conversation. That morning, though, her attention seemed completely focused on her plate as she half-heartedly picked at her scrambled eggs and hash browns, not seeming to have much of an appetite. John caught her more than once staring off into the distance, though he didn't know what she was staring at. It then occurred to him that there were no windows or balconies here at the SGC that led to the outside world. And even if there were, there was no ocean.

There were no briefings or meetings to attend that morning, as General O'Neill and Mr. Woolsey had already debriefed the SGC and IOA on the situation in Atlantis days before. Within the hour, the team had finished their breakfast, and Elizabeth and Rodney had arranged for taxis to come pick them up: Elizabeth's to her apartment block, and Rodney's to the airport, where he would be catching a flight to Nevada. John and Carson accompanied them up to the surface to see them off, and Rodney's ride arrived all too soon.

"Well, I guess this is it, then." Rodney shifted on his feet uncomfortably as the driver loaded what bags he had into the trunk.

"Yeah," John replied. Silence fell over the four.

"Just so we're clear, this isn't goodbye forever, right?" Rodney quickly asked. "Because I'd hate to think that after all we've been through together in the past two years –"

"We'll keep in touch," John interrupted.

Rodney stopped. "Right," he said.

"Rodney." Elizabeth paused for a moment before continuing. "It's – it's been wonderful, having you our team," she finally managed to say.

Rodney gave a small nod, then looked at Carson, who just sorrowfully smiled at him.

The taxi was waiting. Seeing that there was no more that he could say, Rodney settled himself into the taxi and shut the door. His friends watched as the taxi left and drove off into the distance.

They waited in a heavy silence for Elizabeth's ride to arrive. When another taxi pulled over to the curb a few minutes later, Elizabeth sighed deeply.

"Hey, at least you're still staying in town," John said, trying to be optimistic. "And you can always come by just to visit, seeing as how your apartment is only twenty minutes away from here. It doesn't have to be work-related."

Elizabeth gave him a small smile but didn't respond.

"You know, this feels so weird," John suddenly said. Elizabeth arched an eyebrow, prompting him to continue. "Being back on Earth, I mean," John explained, "and going our separate ways. Soon, it's just going to feel like the last two years never happened."

Elizabeth flinched at those last words, and John cursed himself. _Good one, John! Remind her of the time she was infected with nanites just as you say goodbye._

"Sorry," he quietly apologized, and Carson reached out and patted her on the shoulder.

Without another word, Elizabeth climbed into the taxi. She didn't look back as it left in the opposite direction Rodney's had gone.

John let out a heavy sigh. "You think she'll be ok?" he asked Carson.

Carson, too, gave a sigh of resignation. "I don't know," he admitted, a hint of worry in his reply. "I'm sure that given some time, she'll be all right. But this has certainly hit her the hardest."

John just nodded, not responding, and the two men stood together in a heavy silence.

"Come on," Carson finally said after a long moment. "We'd best get back." Reluctantly, John trudged after Carson back to the SGC, not looking back at the point down the road where the taxi had already vanished from their view.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Rodney was miserable. It wasn't that he hated his job – ok, fine, he _did_ hate his job. He found his current projects to be utterly unsatisfying, but he found the fact that he could barely put up with his new colleagues to be even more sufferable. They were nothing like the people he had worked with in Atlantis. Sure, their level of intellect was high enough that they could, for the most part, keep up with everything he said, but they were too simple-minded and lacked the ability to think outside the box. Too often, they appeared to be novices at their craft and sought Rodney for his guidance. They probably spent more time lauding, "Doctor McKay, you are a genius" or "Doctor, I hope I can one day be even a fraction of the scientist you are" than actually working. If it was under any other circumstances, Rodney probably wouldn't have minded how people eulogized him so much; in fact, he would have probably found it flattering. In this case, though, it did nothing to help boost his already massive ego, and it was becoming rather annoying.

Rodney would never admit it out loud, but he missed Atlantis a lot more than he thought he would. He missed the job he had, and he missed the people he worked with. He would never have thought that he would find himself wishing that Radek was there so he could argue with him.

After five weeks, Rodney had had enough. He needed a break from work. Flipping open his cell phone, he dialed a familiar number.

"Hey, Carson... Yeah, I'm fine... You?... Oh, that's good to hear... Hey, look, I was thinking of taking a break and flying in this weekend... How long? Um, probably two, three days tops... Maybe we could do some catching up?... Dinner? Um, sure, why not? I'm always in a good mood when there's food involved... Hey, you think you could get Sheppard to come?... All right... Ok, great." Rodney paused for a moment, contemplating a question. "Hey, just out of curiosity, have you heard from Elizabeth, by any chance?... No?... Well, I just thought how, you know, she's still in town, and maybe you've bumped into her at the SGC... No?... All right, well, thanks anyway... Hey, I'll give you a call after I buy my flight ticket... Ok... Yeah. Bye."

Rodney snapped his phone shut. He stared at it for a moment before shoving it into his pocket. He then turned around to survey his lab.

Cold. Empty. Desolate.

Rodney stood there for a long time with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

* * *

It didn't really matter where a doctor worked; as long as Carson was taking care of others and saving lives, he was happy. He found his job to be not too different from the one he had back in Atlantis, and the people he worked with were about the same, too. They were kind and welcoming and skilled in their profession, and Carson was pleasantly surprised to see several other familiar faces who had also taken a position at the SGC after Atlantis. Getting reacquainted with people he already knew and having the chance to work with new colleagues as well was a blessing, and he didn't find it too difficult to adjust to a new life on Earth.

As content as he was with his new job, though, Carson wasn't one to forget his old friends. He would once in a while eat a meal with John, knowing that the solitary Colonel didn't have many friends at the SGC and appreciated the company. Occasionally, he would also chat with Rodney over the phone. The poor man sounded miserable with his new job, but who could blame him? He listened to him complain largely about his new colleagues, "sycophants," he called them. Carson couldn't help but chuckle at how Rodney found the fawning rather irritating, yet he also felt sorry for his friend at the same time.

It was five weeks in when he received a phone call from Rodney: he would be flying in the next week for a visit. Carson smiled at the prospect of seeing a good friend again as he ended the call and set his phone back on the table. He then turned his attention back to his research in the quiet lab he was in. Something Rodney had asked before he hung up lingered in the back of his mind, but he tried not to let it bother him too much.

Some time later, Carson exited the lab and headed for the commissary for a break. He rounded a corner and nearly collided into General O'Neill.

"Oh, excuse me, General," Carson quickly apologized. "Didn't expect to run into you here."

"That's quite all right, Doctor," General O'Neill replied, dismissing the matter. "You're not looking for Doctor Weir, are you?"

That caught Carson's attention. "Doctor Weir?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah." General O'Neill seemed slightly puzzled at Carson's confusion. "She's been here all day, though she decided to go home for lunch instead - I suppose she thought that her own cooking was better than the SGC's." He paused for a moment, frowning as he mulled over his thoughts. "She seemed a bit distant, though, if you ask me."

"Is she still here?" Carson demanded.

"I just spoke with her." General O'Neill jerked his thumb down the hall behind him. "She said she needed to leave. Kind of seemed anxious to get out of here. Can't say I blame her – she probably attended six hours' worth of meetings today. But if you hurry, you might be able to catch up to her before she leaves."

Carson let the information sink in. "All right. Thank you, General."

As soon as General O'Neill disappeared around the corner, Carson broke into a sprint for the nearest stairway.

* * *

Off-world missions never got old, even if they were in the Milky Way. You travel to another planet, and half the time, things ended badly. Badly as in they lost their food supplies. Or broke their radios. Or accidentally shot themselves in the foot. Literally.

Compared to the way missions in the Pegasus Galaxy ended badly, this was very sad.

John tried to make the best of the circumstances, but he knew that his new team would never measure up to the one he worked with in Atlantis. They were nowhere near as experienced, and unaccustomed to his laid-back way of command, they seemed insecure about how to behave around him. John couldn't form a bond with them like the one he had formed with Rodney and the Pegasus natives. _We should have left Teyla and Ronon a laptop_ , he frustratingly thought. It wouldn't have been too difficult to teach them how to use e-mail or Skype. John smirked at the thought of someone catching him talking to them on the computer. "Who are you talking to?" "Some friends. They're in another galaxy."

It wasn't all completely bad, though. Carson occasionally found him in the commissary and ate with him, and he appreciated the small company. But he still couldn't help but feel that dinner would be much more enjoyable if the whole team was there. There was no way to stay in touch with Teyla and Ronon, and though Rodney called periodically, Elizabeth didn't. In fact, he hadn't heard from Elizabeth at all.

His thoughts were on his friends as he sat alone in the commissary with a cup of coffee the fifth week back from Atlantis. As John looked up, he saw Carson enter the room, and he watched him go make himself a cup of tea before coming over to join him at the table.

"Hey, Doc," he greeted Carson. "What's up?"

Carson made himself comfortable before responding. "Well," he began, "I just got a call from Rodney earlier. He said he's planning on flying in next week. I thought that we could take him out to dinner."

John gulped down some coffee. "Mmmm, sounds like a good idea," he said as he put his cup down. "Be nice to see McKay again after all these weeks. Any particular restaurant in mind?" he queried.

"At the moment, no, not yet," Carson replied. "Though I have to say that I think either seafood or barbeque grill would be splendid," he said.

"Sounds good to me," John agreed.

"Aye." Carson took a sip of his tea, looking thoughtful before he spoke again.

"There's something else I need to tell you," he said in a low voice, his expression suddenly serious. "I just spoke with General O'Neill. Did you know that Elizabeth was here today?"

John's glass was to his lips, and he nearly choked on his coffee. "What?"

Carson sighed. "I thought you probably might not have known. She was here all day except for lunch."

John folded his arms across his chest and slumped back in his seat. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, his concern for Elizabeth now even more potent. He would have thought that if she dropped by the SGC, she would have come to see them, but now... it seemed as if she was deliberately trying to avoid them.

Carson looked like he was about to say something, then changed his mind when he realized that there was nothing that he could say to say to lift the melancholy mood. He, too, was quiet as he blankly stared across the room, one elbow propped on the table, chin resting in his hand.

"Rodney was wondering about her earlier," he finally said, giving a long sigh.

John didn't say anything.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Ring... Ring... Ring... Rin – _Hello, you've reached the household of Doctor Elizabeth Weir, who is currently unavailable. Please leave a message after the beep, and she will call you back as soon as possible. Thank you._ (Beep) _Elizabeth, this is John._ (Pause) _I don't know if you're aware of this, but this is the third time that I've called you since we came back from Atlantis. I kind of doubt that I've been dialing the wrong number repeatedly._ (Pause) _Look, I don't know if you've been busy or what and just haven't had time to call or visit, but... well, Rodney and Carson have been wondering about you, too, and... I don't know, it'd just be nice to hear from you, even if it's just to say hi and ask how we're doing._ (Pause) _Look, just... just give me a call, all right?_ (End message)

The ticking of the clock could be heard. One didn't have to listen hard to realize that the steady _tick-tock_ was the only sound in the room. Outside, birds chirped, and cars passing by the small apartment approached with an effortless whirr of the tires. The sound reached a crescendo as it neared, then just as quickly faded away into the distance.

Elizabeth set down her pen and rubbed her temple. She closed her eyes, unable to write anymore, her thoughts disrupted and now in disarray. She shifted her position on the couch and turned towards the window, staring at the closed curtains in frustration. Weak afternoon sunlight was futile in its attempts to light up the poorly lit room.

It really didn't help at all when her friends kept calling her, and she wished they would just stop. She knew that they were concerned, wondering why she never called, wondering why she had left without seeing them that day at the SGC. That is, if they had even found out at all that she had visited. And more likely than not, they probably had. She didn't know what she could say about that.

She didn't know why she was doing this to herself. She knew that she was being selfish by avoiding them, and she knew that she should just call. But she couldn't bear to pick up the phone. She couldn't talk to those who had once been a part of her life back in Atlantis. She knew others may go to their former colleagues and friends for companionship and support during a time of transition, a time of change. For Elizabeth, though, doing so would only remind her of what had been lost and can never be regained, not for a long time.

Right now, all she wanted to do was cast away the stones of her old life in Atlantis. Cast away the memories. Cast away the friendships. Maybe the pain will eventually go away.

Though she doubted that very much.

Elizabeth glanced over at the telephone sitting at a table across the room. Beside the phone was an answering machine, and she could see a red "1" flashing on the display. She bit her lip, unsure of what she was about to do, before slowly getting up and walking over to the phone. She stared at the answering machine for a long moment before pressing "Play."

 _Elizabeth, this is Jo –_

She pressed "Delete."

The ticking of the clock could be heard. The steady _tick-tock_ was the only sound in the room as Elizabeth blankly stared at the display, now flashing "0."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Slouched in a chair at his desk, John was only half listening to Carson's rant.

"All right, that's it." Carson grabbed his white coat that was draped over a chair and pulled it on. "I'm going to go visit her. Right now."

John briefly glanced up at Carson, then looked back down at the model plane he was holding in his hands. "What are you gonna say to her?"

"The truth," Carson replied, briskly adjusting his coat. "Tell her we're worried and invite her to dinner with us tomorrow."

"You'll think she'll come?" John turned over the model plane in his hands.

"Well, we'll never know unless we go visit her, will we?" Carson said, throwing his hands up in frustration. He then turned to John. "I don't suppose you'd like to come along?"

"I've got a meeting with Landry later," John replied, feigning disinterest. "But you know," he added, though still not looking up, "I think she's more likely to listen if only one person goes, and I think she's more likely to listen to you than to me."

Carson smiled in spite of himself. "Aye, I agree."

John nodded his head and put down his plane. "I'll go ahead and make the reservations." He reached for a piece of paper on his desk. "What time is Rodney flying in tomorrow?" he queried.

"4:30," Carson replied.

"How does 7:15 sound to you?" John asked, studying the restaurant's name and phone number on the piece of paper. "Should give him enough time to settle in at the hotel before he comes out."

"That's all right with me," Carson concurred. He placed both of his hands in his coat pockets. "Well, I suppose I'd better get going now." He walked to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow night, then."

"All right, see you," John called.

Carson left, leaving John alone in his office. He looked at the phone and sighed tiredly. If Carson was going to invite Elizabeth, he supposed that he should make a reservation for four, though he didn't really hold much hope that Elizabeth would come.

 _"Colonel Sheppard, sir?"_

His radio crackled with the voice of Sergeant Harriman, and John tapped his headset. "Go ahead."

 _"Sir, General Landry would like to speak with you immediately. He's waiting in the conference room."_

"Copy that." He looked down at his watch and sighed.

After a long moment, he got out of his seat with great reluctance and headed towards the door.

* * *

Carson stepped out of the elevator as the doors opened and turned to the right. He strolled down the quiet hallway, his eyes wandering as he searched for one particular door number.

He stopped at the fifth door on the right, 310, and he smiled as he rang the doorbell. After a long moment, the door opened.

Carson didn't know what he expected to see, but it certainly wasn't this. He would never have thought that Elizabeth, who had always kept her files organized and her desk tidy on Atlantis, could be this sloppy in terms of housekeeping. As he stepped inside Elizabeth's apartment, he was dismayed as he studied the mess before him. Empty take-out cartons littered the small coffee table, and several articles of clothing lay forgotten on the floor. He looked at Elizabeth herself, observing her scruffy attire and unkempt hair, watching her as she self-consciously picked up a cardigan and hastily folded it before turning to the coffee table in a vain attempt to tidy it up. Judging from the stale air and the drawn curtains, he felt it was pretty safe to guess that Elizabeth had clearly not been out of the house much in the past six weeks.

"It all went by so fast, you know?" She tried to explain why she was writing her memoirs, suddenly getting a distant, faraway look in her eyes.

 _Has Elizabeth been like this for the past six weeks?_ Carson thought, appalled and greatly concerned. He recalled the number of times Rodney had expressed his concern for Elizabeth over the phone and all the times he had seen John sitting in the commissary alone, his mind on the past as he drank his coffee.

"Elizabeth, we're all a bit worried about you," he gently said.

She laughed and made herself comfortable on the chair behind her. Nevertheless, he could tell that she was trying to cover her sorrow, and the laughter she gave seemed factitious.

Paying no mind to the clutter, Carson slowly sat down on the coffee table. They talked briefly, and it soon became clear why Elizabeth hadn't taken on another position and why she had drawn herself into a corner and set herself aloof from others.

"I guess I'm just not ready yet," she confessed with a repentant smile.

Carson silently acknowledged that he couldn't make her go back to work. If she needed more time alone, he would let her have that. However, it wouldn't hurt her at all to get out of the house and see old friends who were missing her. She looked startled when he invited her out to dinner with him, John, and Rodney the following day, but he paid no mind.

"I'll pick you up at seven," he said. He stood up and patted her knee, then walked to the door and let himself out.

As he made his way to the elevator, he let out a sigh as he hoped that she would be all right.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Elizabeth fingered her necklace as she stepped inside the restaurant. It was a nervous habit, and she still had no idea how Carson had managed to get her out of the house and to dinner with him, John, and Rodney. Of course, she should have expected something like that coming from him, and she didn't know why she might have thought otherwise.

She looked behind her at the closed restaurant doors; Carson had gone back out to grab his cell phone from his car, telling her to go in first. She sighed. She was here, and there was no way that she could get out of this, so she supposed that she should try to make the most of it.

Elizabeth scanned the small restaurant for a familiar face and located John seated at a table for four on the far side of the restaurant. He hadn't noticed her entrance; his head was bowed, and he appeared to be completely concentrated on his cell phone. Probably playing Solitaire, Elizabeth thought, twitching her lips in slight amusement. She fingered her necklace again and took a deep breath before making her way over.

"Hey," she softly greeted.

John suddenly lifted his head, bewildered at hearing Elizabeth's voice.

"Elizabeth?" he gaped at her in disbelief.

"Carson invited me," Elizabeth quickly explained, taking a seat on his left. "He's here, by the way, he just had to go grab something from his car."

John sat up. "Yeah. He, uh –" He cleared his throat. "– He told me that he was going to invite you," John replied, setting his cell phone down on the table. "I have to admit, though, I wasn't so sure if you would come," he awkwardly added.

Elizabeth looked at him sheepishly. "He said that he would come to pick me up," she admitted. "I guess I couldn't really argue with that."

John gave a wry smile. "Well, uh, how have things been for you?" he hesitantly inquired. "Is everything all right? I mean, you weren't answering any of our calls, and that had us pretty worried."

Elizabeth looked down. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that," she apologized, her heart weighed down with guilt.

John looked a bit unsure of what to say next. "Is there, uh, anything you'd like to talk about?" he awkwardly added.

Elizabeth was silent for a long moment.

"It's just been hard for me, I guess," she finally admitted, briefly glancing up at John. She gave another sigh. "I don't know," she said, shaking her head. "I thought that I could make things easier by blocking people out, but I didn't."

John ran a hand through his hair. "Look," he hesitantly began. "You don't have to... block people out, as you put it." Elizabeth looked up at him. "I know it may not seem like it," he continued, "but you're not the only one who feels this way. Carson, Rodney, and I, we've all been hit hard by this, too. Especially Rodney, I think." John paused for a moment, contemplating his words. "I just talked with him yesterday, and he sounded pretty miserable with his new job."

Elizabeth arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really." John leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. "You would think that he'd get a kick out of being his own boss and working in his very own lab, but no. I think he misses having Zelenka to argue with, and he says his lab's too big."

Elizabeth and John both smiled at this, amused.

"But the point is," John went on, "I think that it'll get easier if we help each other out. We started this together, so why should we break apart?"

Elizabeth smiled ruefully upon hearing those few words of advice. "All right," she replied. "I can't promise anything, but –" She took a deep breath. "– But I'll try," she finally said.

"Good," John affirmed. "That's all we can ask for, anyway."

At that moment, Elizabeth saw Carson enter the restaurant.

"Did you find it?" she asked as he approached their table.

"No, and now that I think about it, I must have left it on my dresser," Carson replied, sighing as he took a seat next to Elizabeth. "Colonel, good to see you," he said, nodding at John.

"Good to see you, too, Doc," John replied.

"Rodney's not here yet?" Carson queried, looking around them.

"No." John glanced at his watch. "He should be here soon."

The doors to the restaurant then opened, and as if cued by John's words, Rodney entered. He looked casual as his gaze wandered around, searching for his friends. He finally caught sight of them, and his eyes suddenly widened in surprise as he noticed that Elizabeth was among them. He immediately rushed over to their table.

"Elizabeth?!" Rodney stared at her, open-mouthed. "How – when – what are you doing here?" he managed to say.

"What do you mean, what is she doing here?" John asked sarcastically. "Carson invited her."

Rodney appeared flustered. "Well, I just meant… I mean, she hasn't even been returning phone calls, so I just thought, you know…"

Elizabeth smiled. "Sorry about that, Rodney. It's good to see you again."

"Oh." Rodney looked like he didn't know what to say next. "Well, it's, um, it's good to see you again, too."

"You want to sit down?" John looked at Rodney, who was still standing, and gestured to the empty seat next to him as a waiter came by with their menus.

"Oh. Yeah, sure." Rodney took a seat.

It wasn't long before the waiter came by again to take their order, and when the food arrived, they passed the time as they ate by reminiscing about their time in Atlantis. As they talked, Elizabeth remembered the times that they had eaten together in the mess hall in Atlantis, and the feeling of being among friends now was wonderfully familiar.

"Look, I _told_ you, it was an accident," John protested at one point in their conversation.

"Really?" Rodney glared at him as he sliced into his barbecue chicken. "Look, let me just say that it didn't help at all that I was doing very important research when you came into my lab with a hot cup of coffee that wasn't even for me," he retorted.

"So I spilled coffee all over your laptop," John whined. "It's not like it was the end of the world. And your research is _always_ important," he pointed out. "What made this time any different?"

"Because," Rodney began, rolling his eyes, "I was doing research on that one device that we managed to swipe from those conceited sybarites from the place that we visited approximately two months ago. I'm telling you, if I hadn't managed to miraculously salvage the data, nothing good would have come out of that absolutely humiliating trip," he muttered, turning back to his food.

"I think it was more humiliating for us than it was for you, considering how you weren't even conscious half the time," John retorted. He turned to Elizabeth then. "Didn't you come with us on that trip?"

Elizabeth took a sip of red wine. "Yes, I believe I did," she replied, setting her glass down. "The indigenous peoples were quite willing to establish a diplomatic relationship with us, and I believe that before negotiations began, the leader invited us to dinner." She paused for a moment, swirling the red wine in her glass. "Not that negotiations ever did occur after Rodney started to panic at the table," she nonchalantly added, not bothering to look up at Rodney.

"What was it that you screamed?" John threw an irritated look at Rodney. "Oh, that's right. 'He's trying to kill me!'"

"Hey, look," Rodney began, turning defensive. "It was not my fault that they had apparently used a fruit distantly akin to lemons to make that sauce. Plus, I didn't even get to have dessert," he grumbled.

" _None_ of us did, Rodney," John shot back. "Because after you screamed, 'He's trying to kill me!', had a seizure, and collapsed at the table, the leader wasn't too keen on having us stay any longer. And let me tell you, it didn't please the locals at all when they had to help us carry you back home _on foot_ in pitch-black night. In fact, they were just about set on dumping us once they realized how heavy you were." Elizabeth could barely suppress a laugh at this sardonic comment.

"As much as I hate to say it, Rodney," Carson cut Rodney off when he opened his mouth to argue, "you could stand to go on a diet."

"Oh, and you don't think that I don't already know that?" Rodney glared at Carson.

"Oh, I'm sure you do," Carson airily acknowledged. "It's just that you love eating too much, and who were we to stop you from enjoying a snack and some coffee at 2:00 in the morning?"

"Of course, that's when we were all asleep," John remarked sarcastically. "I don't think even Elizabeth ever stayed up that late." He looked at Elizabeth, and she shook her head, unable to respond from trying not to laugh.

Time flew like the wind that night, and as they concluded their meal with dessert (Rodney choosing to order a double-fudge ice cream), Elizabeth looked around the table. She thought back to six weeks ago, remembering how before she stepped through the Gate, she had stopped and turned around to take in the ethereal blue beauty of the Gate room one last time. She recalled how she was the only one who did so. She was alone then.

But she wasn't alone now. Now, she was in a restaurant, gathered together with her three closest friends from Atlantis to share a meal and reminisce about old times. And being able to gather the stones of her old life in Atlantis, to gather together the memories and the friendships, she felt strangely at ease.

Elizabeth sighed. It was nearly time for her to return home, but she didn't want to leave just yet. She wished that they could stay gathered together for just a little while longer.


End file.
